2026 NFL mock draft roundup: Bears explore multiple options at No. 25

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft, where general manager Ryan Poles and his staff are finalizing their plans before draft night in a few weeks. Following free agency, the Bears have some big needs to address on the roster heading into head coach Ben Johnson's second season. Most of those needs are on defense, which includes defensive line and safety.

And while most mock drafts have Chicago targeting those two positions at 25th overall, is defense really a lock with the Bears' best-available mindset? We've rounded up the latest 2026 NFL mock drafts, where most experts still have the Bears leaning defense with their first-round pick but offensive tackle isn't necessarily off the board either. USA Today: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo Aryton Ostley : "Chicago lost Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard in free agency and still has a glaring need on the back end.

Luckily, the board lines up with that need pretty well with McNeil-Warren, Toledo’s latest top defensive back prospect. He has the size and speed to hang in coverage and brings a hard-hitting edge in run defense as well. " The Athletic: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami Bruce Feldman : "If McNeil-Warren were still on the board, Chicago would’ve loved to scoop up the big safety, but Mesidor fills a big need too.

The Ottawa native, who began his college career at West Virginia, was the other edge guy on a Miami D-line that gave QBs nightmares. Mesidor had 17. 5 TFLs, 12.